what's the "p" button for?

Puts the transmission in park.

 

What's this rectangle made of sheets of paper that says "Owner's Manual" on one side? :_>

 

Parking.

 

PRND is an automotive acronym, on the Prius the P is near R as it should be.

 

P= Pickles, it turns on the pickle dispenser.

 

Just a note:
Toyota is legally required to have a P, and an N, and a B, (although it did not have to be named B) But you may never need to use any of them.

If you hit Power, it automatically puts your car in P.
The Prius cannot do regenerative braking, nor charge the HV Battery in N.
B is useful for long downhills, where the regenerative brakes will fill up, you can use B from the top to help keep your friction brakes cool.

 

I still put my car in P before I hit power.....why, 'cause the official, obtuse manual tells me so....

 

Has it ever dispensed a pickle?

 

I've heard that it really will dispense a pickle, but you have to get it into "hybrid stage 5c" before that function is available.

 

Unfortunately, leaving the car in Neutral for more than a few minutes without the ICE running drains the battery very fast. I've gone to a car wash with full bars and by the time I'm out the other side, I'm down to 2 or 1 bar(s).

Re the "B": where does it say it is required? Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive make sense, but I've never had a "B" position on my other cars.

 

B = engine braking. It will combine regenerative braking (unless the battery is full) with a sort-of low gear behavior, spinning the engine fast against a closed throttle without giving it gas. This slows the car without using the friction brakes, and can work even when the battery is full. I've seen it called "L" (for "Low") on other automatic cars, and on manual cars you just shift into a lower gear...

 

Standard No. 102; Transmission shift position sequence starter interlock, and transmission braking effect. - Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Usually that would be labeled L, but someone at Toyota was too honest, B does not use lower gearing.

 

Can you legally drive? If so, let me know where you live and I'll avoid the area

 

Years ago in drivers ed class someone said a student put the car in "P" to pass! I still feel bad for that kid, hope it wasn't true.

 

That kid probably came from the same class that said R was for race and D for drag.

 

Interesting. In automatic transmission cars, I've never used any positions other than PRND. I figure the other positions (L, 1, 2, etc.) were for those who wanted to pretend they had a manual!

 

You might find some occasions for B (or L in some other car) if you drove to Sattley CA and back on 49, the Golden Chain.

 

That's the section of CA 49 between CA 89 and Nevada City. Sometime back in the 90s I took my Miata through there; one of these days I'll have to do it again. But it really isn't a road for automatics, IIRC.